Acetylene-gas machine.



PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904. G. ANDEREGG & F. A. SELL.

AGETYLENE GAS MACHINE.

APPLIOATION TILED 00123, 1903.

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AUBTYLENE GAS MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED 00'1'.23, 1903. I

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UNITED STATES Patented une '7', 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE ANDEREGG AND FRANK A. SELL, OF RED LODGE, MONTANA.

ACETYLENE-GAS MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 62,110, dated. June '7, 1904. Application filed October 23, 1903. Serial No. 178,251. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE ANDEREGG and FRANK A. SELL, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Red Lodge, in the county of Carbon and State of Montana, have invented a new and Improved Acetylene-Gas Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to improvements in acetylene-gas machines of that class wherein carbid in predetermined charges is adapted to be dropped into the attacking liquid.

Among other objects pertaining to this invention we seek to accomplish, first, the automatic supply of carbid in given quantities when the gas-supply in the holder is diminished owing to consumption at the burners; second, the replenishing of the carbid-supply in an easy and expeditious manner; third, the prevention of the leakage of gas through a hand-hole and a stuffing-box; fourth, to re.- duce ebullition of the water in the generator when the carbid is dropped therein; fifth, to

..expel the gas and flood the generator on the consumption of carbid in the magazine before opening said generator preparatory to cleaning the same; sixth, to facilitate the discharge of the water and residue from the generator, and, finally, to make provision for easily connecting a second or reserve generator of' a battery to the intermediate connecting devices with the gasholder.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the subjoined description, and the actual scope thereof will be defined by the annexed claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a machine for generating acetylene gas constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation through one of the generators and a condenser, showing the parts in their working positions. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the generator shown by Fig. 2. Figs. Land 5 are horizontal sectional plan views taken in the planesindicated by the dotted lines4 1 and 5 5, respectively, of

Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a detail view, in front elevation, of an actuating mechanism for the rotary magazine employed in one of the generators.

We employ a battery of generators, which is shown by the drawings as consisting of two generators A B, each of which is adapted to be connected with the floatable bell C of an expansible tank or gas-holder C; but it is to be understood that the generators are connected individually or separately with this ex pansible gas-holder in order that one generator may be kept in reserve while the other is in operation, thus making provision for supplying the gas continuously to the holder. The generators of thebattery are identical in construction, so that adescription of one will answer for the other. Each generator is provided with a tank or casing 5, having a sloping bottom 6, to the lower extremity of which is connected a drain-pipe 7, the latter being provided with a cock or valve 8 and connected with an escape-pipe 9, said drain-pipes of the generators forming the battery having common connection with this escape-pipe in order to discharge the water and residue from the generators during the operation of cleaning the latter. To the drain-pipes 7 of the generators is coupled a water-supply pipe 10, the same being provided with suitable valves 11', by which water may be supplied individually to the generators A B. The tank or casing 5 of each generator is provided at the upper open end with an annular flangelQ, to which is bolted the head or cover 13 of the generator, said cover being secured solidly in place, so that it is not removable under normal conditions. In'this cover 13 is a hand-hole 14:, which is surrounded by an upstanding flange 15. Said hole is adapted to be closed by a hand-hole cover 16, which is pressed forcibly into position by a clamping-yoke 17 and a screw 18. Projecting into the hand-hole 14 is a short I flange 19, adapted to form a seat for the cover 16, and a gasket or elastic washer 20 is placed between the cover and the seat 19 for the purpose of producing a tight joint at the handhole. After the cover shall have been applied and secured in place water may be introduced within the flange 15, so as to form a sealed joint around. the cover 16 and to indicate the escape of gas through the handhole of the generator. At the lower part of the generator a bracket or tripod 20 is secured in position to afford a bearing for the lower extremity of the vertical shaft 21, the upper extremity of said shaft finding a bearing 22 in the permanent head 13 of the generator. The tank 5 is provided near the bottom and at a pointbelow the water-line with a stuffing-box 22, through which passes an operating-shaft 23, the latter having a bearing in the bracket or tripod 20. The inner end of this horizontal shaft 23 is geared to the vertical shaft 21 by the intermeshing gears 24 25, which are made fast to the horizontal and vertical shafts, respectively. The shaft 23 constitutes one member of an actuating mechanism which is adapted to impart rotary stepby-step movement to the vertical shaft 21 and the carbid-magazine, which is carried thereby. On the shaft 23 is rigidly secured a member 26 of this actuating mechanism, said member being shown in the form of a disk by Figs. 1, 2, and 6 of the drawings, said disk being keyed or otherwise fastened to the shaft 23. The disk is provided with a plurality of offstanding lugs 27 28, which are disposed in annular series and are separated one from the other, as shown by Fig. 6. Each of the lugs 27 on this disk 26 is provided with a beveled face 2'?" and with a square shoulder; but the other lug 28 of the series is provided with square shoulders on its respective sides for a purpose which will presently appear.

Loosely fitted on the shaft 23 near its extremity is an arm 29, which is normally pressed toward the disk and its lugs by the action of a spring 30, said spring bearing against a nut 31, which is screwed on the extremity of the shaft 23. The spring 30 loosely encircles the shaft, and it is confined between .the arm 29 and the nut 30, so as to act on the arm in a way to press it toward the lugs of the actuating-disk 26. To the free end of the arm 29 is detachably connected a cable or chain 32, which is led over direction sheaves or pulleys 33, the other end of said cable or chain being connected to the head of the floatable bell C, forming a part of the expansible gasholder.

It will be understood that each generator of the battery is provided with an actuating mechanism of the class described and that the arm 29 of this actuating mechanism has a cable or chain 32 connected detachably thereto, thus making provision for bringing the generator into service by connecting the cable to the arm and for throwing the generator out of service by disengaging the chain from said arm.

The upper end of the vertical shaft 21 within the generator is equipped with a carrier 34,

having a plurality of openings or sockets (See Figs. 2 and 4.) This carrier is made fast with the shaft 21 to rotate therewith, and it is located at a point some distance above the normal water-level in the generator. The carrier is adapted to support a plurality of carbid cups or receptacles 36, each of which is fitted removably in one of the openings 35 of the carrier and is suspended from the latter. Each cup or receptacle 36 flares or enlarges downwardly, as shown by Fig. 2, in order that the carbid may drop therefrom without lodgment, and said receptacle is open at its lower end for the ready exit of the carbid. The receptacle is equipped with a bottom 37 which is hinged or pivoted at 38 and is held normally in a closed position by a spring 39. The hinged bottom is fastened when in its raised closed position by a latch-rod 40, which is mounted to turn in suitable lugs 41, provided on the outside of the receptacle. The latch-rod is provided with a foot, which is held in position for engagement with the hinged bottom by a coiled spring 42, and the upper end of the latch-rod is provided with a crank-arm 43, which is arranged for engagement with a trip-lug 44. Said lug is disposed in the path of the cranks 43 on the latch'rods, which are adapted to travel with the carbidcups and the carrier of the carbid-magazine, and in Fig. 2 we have shown this lug 44 as depending from the hand-hole cover l6,al though it will be understood that the lug may be provided on the permanent head 13, if desired.

The carrier 34 is constructed to accommodate a plurality of the carbid-cups, which are adapted to be opened successively on the stepby-step rotation of the shaft and the carrier under the operation of the actuating mechanism, which is controlled by the rise and fall of the gas-bell C. On the descent of this bell the chain or cable 32 pulls on the arm 29, so as to move it against the abrupt shoulder on one of the lugs 27 or 28 of the actuatingdisk, and said disk turns the shaft 23, which operates to turn the shaft 21 and the carrier 34, thereby bringing the crank-arm 43 of one carbid-cup into position for engagement with the lug 44, the latter operating to turn the rod 40 and disengage it from the bottom 37, whereupon the weight of the carbid charge overcomes the energy of the spring 39 and the carbid is discharged from the cup into the generator. The arm 29 moves from a horizontal to an upright position, and after it shall have operated the member 26, as described, it falls back into place on the ascent of the gas-bell C by riding against the beveled face 27 of one lug, the spring 30 yielding to the backward travel of the arm 29, so that the latter will clear the beveled side of the lug. The member 26 is equipped with a number of lugs corresponding to the carbid cups or receptacles 36 in the magazine, and when the last cup is operated, so as to exhaust the carbid from ream the magazine, the arm 29 will engage with the lug 28, which it will be noted by refer- .ence to Fig. 2 is provided with two square shoulders. This lug prevents the arm from dropping back to its normal operative position, because the arm will engage with an abrupt shoulder on the lug 28, thus indicating to an attendant that the carbid i in the magazine is exhausted.

In our generator the carbid discharged from the cups of the magazine is not permitted to fall directly into the bath contained within said generator, because we have provided a float 45, which is arranged to travel on the shaft 21 and to move vertically Within the generator. This float is provided with a sediment-chamber 46, which has a perforated or foraminous bottom 47, which permits the water to attack the carbid deposited in the float. The shaft 21 is equipped with a stop-lug 48, which lies in the path of the float and is adapted to limit the ascent thereof on the sudden generation of gas, thus preventing the float from rising high enough in the generator to operate the carbid-cups having unused charges of carbid therein. The carbid-cups 36 are closed at their upper ends by suitable heads; but these heads should be provided with vent-openings to allow the escape of any gas which may be generated by the moisture in the generator attacking the carbid-supply.

The gas is conveyed from the generators by pipes 49, which are attached to the permanent heads 13 of the generators A B. The other ends of the pipes are coupled to the bottom portion of a scrubber and condenser 50, which is situated between the generators and is adapted to contain a liquid bath, as shown by Fig. 2. Within this scrubber and condenser is arranged a tube 51, which passes through .the bottom of said scrubber and has its upper end terminating above the water-line. This tube 51 is closed at its lower end and provided at a point intermediate of its length with a vent-cock 52. The depending lower end of the tube 51 is adapted to be filled with water up to the level of the vent-cock, so as to produce a bath in which is immersed the lower end of a vent-pipe 53, the latter passing through the tube 51 and the scrubber 50, so as to convey the gas to any desired point of dischargewhen the liquid seal is displaced through the vent-cock 52 by the pressure of. gas thereon. The gas is washed and condensed by passing through the bath of the scrubber 50, and it is conveyed from the scrubber by a pipe 54, which discharges into the gas-holder C above the water-line therein in the usual way. From this gas-holder leads a service-pipe 55, and to said gas-holder is coupled an overflowpipe 56, having communication with the waste-pipe 9.

When the carbid is consumed in one of the generators, the other generator should be brought into service and the used generator of the valves 11 and supplying water from the pipe 10 through the pipe 7 into the generator, thereby displacing all the gas from said generator and allowing it to pass through the pipe 49 into the scrubber. Suflicient water should be admitted to the generator to flow through the pipe 49 and overflow the pipe 51 through the vent-cock 52, after which the su pply of water should be shut off and the generator may then be opened by removing the cover 16, so as to obtain access to the several parts within the generator, the water and residue being drawn off through the drain-pipe? by opening the valve 8. Provision is thus made for cutting off the escape of gas and for recharging the carbid-cups of the magazine.

Having thus described our invention, we-

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An acetylene-gas generator having a casing, a vertical shaft, a carbid-magazine revoluble with said shaft, a horizontal shaft geared to the vertical shaft, a, revoluble member fast with said horizontal shaft and provided with a plurality of beveled lugs, a gasometer-controller lever mounted loosely on said horizontal shaft for turning and sliding movement thereon relatively to the lugs of said revoluble member, and means for moving said lever laterally toward the revoluble member.

2. An acetylene-gas generator having a casing, a carbid-magazine revoluble on a vertical axis therein, a revoluble member connected operatively with said carrier for actuating the latter, said member being revoluble on a horizontal axis and provided on one of its faces with beveled lugs, a gasometer controlled lever loosely mounted for movement on an axis coincident with said member and laterally with respect to the member, and a spring acting on the lever for holding it normally in position for engagement with the lugs of the member.

3. An acetylene-gas generator comprising a casing, a vertical shaft therein, a magazinecarrier disk provided with openings, means for rotating the carrier-disk with a step-bystep movement, a series of carbid-cups fitted removably in the openings of said carrier-disk, each cup having a drop-bottom, a spring-ac tuated latch-rod mounted on each cup and provided with a locking-toe and with a crank, an actuator disposed in the path of the cranks and effective in successively operating the latch-rods of the carbid-cupson the rotation of the carrier-disk, and a floating carbid-receptacle in said casing under said disk.

4. An acetylene-gas generator having a carbid-magazine provided with a plurality of openings, depending cups removably secured in said openings, means for intermittently rotating said magazine, a spring-actuated hinged bottom for each cup, a spring-actuated latchrod mounted on each cup and having a toe en- IQ provided with a carbid-receptacle and with a foraminou's bottom, and means on the shaft for limiting the ascent of said float.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses GEORGE ANDEREGG.

FRANK A. SELL. Witnesses:

W. F MEYER, MARJORIE WHITTLE. 

